This can only be good.
Hip-hop star joins anti-Semitism fight
What a shame that the African-American and Jewish communities have seemingly drifted so far apart in the last 30 years. I cry every time I read MLK's I Have a Dream speech. Please read it as a tribute to Dr. King and remind yourself what it means to be part of this ongoing project we call America.
Thursday, January 15, 2004
According to Honest Reporting's blog, perhaps Reuters reporting is becoming a little more...well...honest.
Improvement in Reuters terminology (all text below comes from linked post)
Reuters, the recipient of the 2003 Dishonest Reporting 'Award', frequently misrepresents Hamas' ultimate aim of destroying Israel by using the following descriptive phrase:
The military wing of the Islamic militant group Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement faxed to Reuters. Hamas has spearheaded a 28-month-old Palestinian militant uprising against Israel for a state in Gaza and the West Bank.
From this, the typical reader likely identifies with Hamas' 'freedom fight'. But Reuters coverage of yesterday's suicide bombing at the Erez checkpoint in Gaza showed noticeable improvement:
Sworn to Israel's destruction, Hamas has spearheaded a Palestinian uprising that erupted in the West Bank and Gaza in September 2000.
We've seen this change in terminology more than once from Reuters lately. It seems letters of protest, demanding accurate description of Hamas' goals, are working.
Improvement in Reuters terminology (all text below comes from linked post)
Reuters, the recipient of the 2003 Dishonest Reporting 'Award', frequently misrepresents Hamas' ultimate aim of destroying Israel by using the following descriptive phrase:
The military wing of the Islamic militant group Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement faxed to Reuters. Hamas has spearheaded a 28-month-old Palestinian militant uprising against Israel for a state in Gaza and the West Bank.
From this, the typical reader likely identifies with Hamas' 'freedom fight'. But Reuters coverage of yesterday's suicide bombing at the Erez checkpoint in Gaza showed noticeable improvement:
Sworn to Israel's destruction, Hamas has spearheaded a Palestinian uprising that erupted in the West Bank and Gaza in September 2000.
We've seen this change in terminology more than once from Reuters lately. It seems letters of protest, demanding accurate description of Hamas' goals, are working.
I'm glad to see that Dennis Miller is getting another opportunity to host his own show. However, isn't there a law against this kind of headline from the New York Times?
The Joke Is on Liberals, Says Dennis Miller, Host of His Own Show Again
Not only is Dennis Miller not quoted as saying "the joke is on liberals" anywhere in the article, but he is quoted as saying he is for gay-marriage and abortion rights. What's up with that?
The Joke Is on Liberals, Says Dennis Miller, Host of His Own Show Again
Not only is Dennis Miller not quoted as saying "the joke is on liberals" anywhere in the article, but he is quoted as saying he is for gay-marriage and abortion rights. What's up with that?
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
The changes keep coming for the Knicks - Lenny Wilkens Announced as Knicks Head Coach....and they seem to be taking notice.......Knicks Shoot 60 Percent from Field
This is a great story. Bravo to Jacqueline Murekatete and David Gewirtzman and bravo to the Times for publishing it.
Fighting Hate, Across Cultures and Generations
Fighting Hate, Across Cultures and Generations
You Don't Have to Be Jewish To Want a Bar Mitzvah Party
I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this. The only thing I do know is that there are obviously a lot of non-Jewish parents who don't know what to do with all the money they have and as a consequence have a lot of spoiled children. As far as I'm concerned the Dallas girl featured in the article has a certain resemblance to a certain character from Willie Wonka...
But Daddy, I....WANT......MORE! (actually it has come to my attention that the "I want it" girl is Veruca Salt and not Violet Beauregard who is depicted above). Anyway, they were all obnoxious.
The only benefit is that if we can lift the national awareness of bar-mitzvah parties to the level of Christmas, we can finally say to our children - "look they have Christmas, but you get a bar/bat mitzvah!"
I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this. The only thing I do know is that there are obviously a lot of non-Jewish parents who don't know what to do with all the money they have and as a consequence have a lot of spoiled children. As far as I'm concerned the Dallas girl featured in the article has a certain resemblance to a certain character from Willie Wonka...
But Daddy, I....WANT......MORE! (actually it has come to my attention that the "I want it" girl is Veruca Salt and not Violet Beauregard who is depicted above). Anyway, they were all obnoxious.
The only benefit is that if we can lift the national awareness of bar-mitzvah parties to the level of Christmas, we can finally say to our children - "look they have Christmas, but you get a bar/bat mitzvah!"
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
If these people are supposed to be the fringe element of radical Islam, why does it seem like the most violently anti-Semitic and radical are leaders (not just members) of the largest mosques?
Islamic leader indicted in Cleveland
Islamic leader indicted in Cleveland
Monday, January 12, 2004
I didn't realize that Honestreporting.com had a separate weblog called Backspin. Gotta add it to the list.
Here's a funny post from Israpundit:
Oh, that's how they did it
A very long time ago, in a place far, far away, there was a country that had constant incursions by would-be terrorists trying to destroy their country. This is what they did to keep the barbarians away click here
Oh, that's how they did it
A very long time ago, in a place far, far away, there was a country that had constant incursions by would-be terrorists trying to destroy their country. This is what they did to keep the barbarians away click here
My Mets once again failed to get the big fish, although it seems like they made a repsectable offer amid some health concerns.
Guerrero Chooses Angels, but Mets Express No Regrets
Best line in the article - Resorting to damage control Saturday night, the Mets took the unusual step of holding a conference call to announce that they had not signed a player.
Guerrero Chooses Angels, but Mets Express No Regrets
Best line in the article - Resorting to damage control Saturday night, the Mets took the unusual step of holding a conference call to announce that they had not signed a player.
I don't think I've ever seen as blatant an example of selective hearing and spin as the New York Times editorial today regarding IMF criticism of the US budget deficit. According to the Times:
...it was nice to see staff members of the fund's Western Hemisphere department hold a press conference last week to publicize one nation's worrisome trends, which threaten foreign investors and the global economy. Who was in for the scolding? Haiti? Argentina? Mexico? Not exactly. It's the United States the fund is worried about.
There is a certain poignancy now in having the I.M.F. preach the so-called "Washington consensus" to Washington.
The fund's report warns that America's profligacy and its voracious appetite for credit will drive up interest rates around the world, threatening the global economic recovery and American productivity growth.
Now, let's read what was actually said at the IMF press conference (transcript here) regarding our current deficit spending:
The federal fiscal balance has swung from a surplus of 2½ percent of GDP in fiscal year 2000 to a deficit just under 4 percent of GDP in fiscal year 2003. This will provide extremely valuable short-term support to the U.S. economy, cushioning the extent of the downturn, after the unprecedented collapse of the asset price bubble and the September 11th attacks. It has also put the economy on a path for what now looks to be a robust expansion. This fiscal support has been especially timely since the global economy has generally lacked other sources of growth.
Summing up, the recent expansionary stance of the U.S. fiscal policy has certainly been beneficial, supporting the global economy at a difficult juncture.
Just becuase the shot in the arm hurts and may cause an immediate adverse reaction does not mean that it doesn't prevent an illness that would be many times worse.
...it was nice to see staff members of the fund's Western Hemisphere department hold a press conference last week to publicize one nation's worrisome trends, which threaten foreign investors and the global economy. Who was in for the scolding? Haiti? Argentina? Mexico? Not exactly. It's the United States the fund is worried about.
There is a certain poignancy now in having the I.M.F. preach the so-called "Washington consensus" to Washington.
The fund's report warns that America's profligacy and its voracious appetite for credit will drive up interest rates around the world, threatening the global economic recovery and American productivity growth.
Now, let's read what was actually said at the IMF press conference (transcript here) regarding our current deficit spending:
The federal fiscal balance has swung from a surplus of 2½ percent of GDP in fiscal year 2000 to a deficit just under 4 percent of GDP in fiscal year 2003. This will provide extremely valuable short-term support to the U.S. economy, cushioning the extent of the downturn, after the unprecedented collapse of the asset price bubble and the September 11th attacks. It has also put the economy on a path for what now looks to be a robust expansion. This fiscal support has been especially timely since the global economy has generally lacked other sources of growth.
Summing up, the recent expansionary stance of the U.S. fiscal policy has certainly been beneficial, supporting the global economy at a difficult juncture.
Just becuase the shot in the arm hurts and may cause an immediate adverse reaction does not mean that it doesn't prevent an illness that would be many times worse.
Not a good idea - mentally disturbed man enters the lion exhibit at the Buenos Aires zoo.
This link has a video!
This link has a video!
Could Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona be the next Evita of Broadway?
Musical charts Maradona rise, fall
Musical charts Maradona rise, fall
Saturday, January 10, 2004
Former Treasury Secretary O'Neill may be right about Bush being an idiot (after all isn't that what he's really trying to say in his new memoir?) The question is, if you are anti-Bush and given a choice - would you believe someone who's steadfast and does not share your beliefs, or someone who shares your beliefs and speaks out of both sides of their mouth?
Per The Drudge Report:
Jan. 12, 2003:
O'Neill: 'I'm determined not to say any negative things about the president and the Bush administration'...
Jan. 10, 2004:
O'Neill: Bush's performance at cabinet meetings resembled that of 'a blind man in a room full of deaf people'...
Per The Drudge Report:
Jan. 12, 2003:
O'Neill: 'I'm determined not to say any negative things about the president and the Bush administration'...
Jan. 10, 2004:
O'Neill: Bush's performance at cabinet meetings resembled that of 'a blind man in a room full of deaf people'...
Ther've been false reports before, I wonder if this is finally it.
Possible Iraqi Blister Gas Weapons Found
If the stuff has indeed been buried for 10 years, who knows what else could be anywhere else.
How many chemical or similar weapons would we have to find in order for those who have criticized Bush for looking for non-existent weapons admit that they exist?
Iraq's Arsenal Was Only on Paper - Washington Post - January 7, 2004
Did Iraq really have weapons of mass destruction? - Slate May 30, 2003
Whimper of Mass Destruction - Village Voice June 18, 2003
"I stood up to this administration and even when 70 percent of the American people supported the war, I believed that the evidence was not there, and I refused to change my view. As it turned out, I was right," Mr. Dean said. - Howard Dean - Washington Times June 25, 2003
Update - It WAS a false alarm - no WMDs yet.
Possible Iraqi Blister Gas Weapons Found
If the stuff has indeed been buried for 10 years, who knows what else could be anywhere else.
How many chemical or similar weapons would we have to find in order for those who have criticized Bush for looking for non-existent weapons admit that they exist?
Iraq's Arsenal Was Only on Paper - Washington Post - January 7, 2004
Did Iraq really have weapons of mass destruction? - Slate May 30, 2003
Whimper of Mass Destruction - Village Voice June 18, 2003
"I stood up to this administration and even when 70 percent of the American people supported the war, I believed that the evidence was not there, and I refused to change my view. As it turned out, I was right," Mr. Dean said. - Howard Dean - Washington Times June 25, 2003
Update - It WAS a false alarm - no WMDs yet.
Friday, January 09, 2004
This is pretty outrageous if you ask me. I can't even believe they found 1,200 people to buy these shirts.
'Jewish girls' T-shirts tee off many, but sell like hotcakes
This year, a line of Urban Outfitters T-shirts decried by some Jews as exploiting stereotypes of Jews as moneygrubbers and Jewish women as spoiled princesses is also flying off the shelves — into the closets of willing buyers.
The Philadelphia-based chain is hawking a T-shirt emblazoned with the logo “Everybody Loves a Jewish Girl” along with images of dollar signs and shopping bags. Also available are “Everybody Loves a German, Irish or Italian Girl” tees, featuring images of, respectively, a beer stein, shamrock and pizza slice.
“That’s pretty bad. That’s an unbelievably bad idea from them,” said Sarah Lefton, founder of an offbeat Jewish-themed apparel company, Jewish Fashion Conspiracy.
“With a shamrock for the Irish and pizza for Italians, you’d sort of expect a bagel for the Jewish T-shirt. And they come up with a shopping bag and money. That kind of stereotype isn’t even funny when Jews make it on each other.”
By the way...just checked out the Urban Outfitters website and found all the t-shirts except the Jewish one.
'Jewish girls' T-shirts tee off many, but sell like hotcakes
This year, a line of Urban Outfitters T-shirts decried by some Jews as exploiting stereotypes of Jews as moneygrubbers and Jewish women as spoiled princesses is also flying off the shelves — into the closets of willing buyers.
The Philadelphia-based chain is hawking a T-shirt emblazoned with the logo “Everybody Loves a Jewish Girl” along with images of dollar signs and shopping bags. Also available are “Everybody Loves a German, Irish or Italian Girl” tees, featuring images of, respectively, a beer stein, shamrock and pizza slice.
“That’s pretty bad. That’s an unbelievably bad idea from them,” said Sarah Lefton, founder of an offbeat Jewish-themed apparel company, Jewish Fashion Conspiracy.
“With a shamrock for the Irish and pizza for Italians, you’d sort of expect a bagel for the Jewish T-shirt. And they come up with a shopping bag and money. That kind of stereotype isn’t even funny when Jews make it on each other.”
By the way...just checked out the Urban Outfitters website and found all the t-shirts except the Jewish one.
Sometimes there's just some great writing you come across in the blogs (or at least referenced to in the blogs)
The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.
If only the words "error" and "truth" were capitalized to read "Error" and "Truth", it would seem even more like divine commandment.
Quote is from John Stuart Mill's "On Liberty". Courtesy of Au Currant
The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.
If only the words "error" and "truth" were capitalized to read "Error" and "Truth", it would seem even more like divine commandment.
Quote is from John Stuart Mill's "On Liberty". Courtesy of Au Currant
It would be hard to convince me that the Mets' signing of Mo Vaughan a while back was not one of their biggest mistakes ever.
Vaughn will not play in 2004
Vaughn is scheduled to make $15 million this year, and the club has a $2 million buyout option for 2005 on the six-year, $80 million deal he signed with Anaheim prior to the 1999 season.
Nice.
Vaughn will not play in 2004
Vaughn is scheduled to make $15 million this year, and the club has a $2 million buyout option for 2005 on the six-year, $80 million deal he signed with Anaheim prior to the 1999 season.
Nice.
Thursday, January 08, 2004
I found the on-line site for a quarterly periodical called Azure which seems like a pretty serious publication for discussing Jewish themes. I am only now reading one of the articles, which is about the base differences between Judaism and Christianity and it seems very insightful.
The author begins by writing something that exactly identifies my early understanding of these differences. Simply put, the Christians believe the Messiah came and will return and the Jews were just waiting some more. Other differences were minor. Later on, this point was brought forth...
For Christians, redemption is essentially an act of divine grace, the salvation of a humanity that is incapable of saving itself. For Jews, however, the reverse is true: Redemption depends entirely on the repentance of man, who is responsible for his own fate. As such, the difference in the respective religions' approach to the messiah is, in truth, a difference in the understanding of man's own moral capacity, and of the nature of good and evil itself.
Wow.
The author begins by writing something that exactly identifies my early understanding of these differences. Simply put, the Christians believe the Messiah came and will return and the Jews were just waiting some more. Other differences were minor. Later on, this point was brought forth...
For Christians, redemption is essentially an act of divine grace, the salvation of a humanity that is incapable of saving itself. For Jews, however, the reverse is true: Redemption depends entirely on the repentance of man, who is responsible for his own fate. As such, the difference in the respective religions' approach to the messiah is, in truth, a difference in the understanding of man's own moral capacity, and of the nature of good and evil itself.
Wow.
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